Otis Spofford
Otis is a trouble-maker. If he can figure out a way to stir up some excitement ...he will! His favorite targets are Mrs. Gitler, his teacher, and Ellen Tebbits, a girl in his class that was always neat, clean and well-behaved. The various chapter include humorous accounts of his antics. They include a disruption of a P.T.A. performance, tampering with a class experiement, and collecting bugs.
There is one chapter that is entitled Otis, The Unfriendly Indian. The class is plodding through a very boring class reader, when Mrs. Gitler must go to the office for a moment. While she is gone, the class is chaotic. Otis "scalps" (cuts off a chunk of hair) Ellen Tebbits, to the complete horror of the class. The references to Indians in this chapter will offend students of Native American heritage. This novel was written in 1953, so it is understandable, but not acceptable for 1999. Please use caution when reading this book to children!
KV